External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) posted on X that he was speaking at the launch of India's campaign for a seat on the UN Security Council for the 2028-29 term. The post carried the hashtag #SHANTI along with the flags of India and the United Nations.
What Jaishankar said
He wrote that he was speaking at the launch of India's campaign for the UN Security Council 2028-29 term. The post included Indian and UN flag emojis, a link, and the campaign hashtag #SHANTI.
Why India is pushing for a UNSC seat
The post came as Jaishankar formally launched India's official bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2028-29 term. This was part of a multi-nation visit that also included a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York. Elections for non-permanent Security Council seats are held periodically at the UN, and India, which has previously served multiple terms on the council, is positioning itself early for the 2028-29 cycle. The launch reflects New Delhi's ongoing push to expand its footprint in global governance institutions, alongside its long-standing demand for permanent UNSC membership.
The Shanti theme and Global South outreach
Central to the campaign is the theme #SHANTI, meaning peace, through which India is highlighting its peacekeeping record and positioning itself as a steady voice for the Global South within the Security Council. Officials have framed the pitch around norms, trust and integrity as the values guiding India's candidature.
Public reaction
Reactions to the post were mixed. Some users questioned how India intends to modernise a Council still bound by a veto structure dating back to 1945, others dismissed the UN itself as outdated, while several praised India's peacekeeping record and its Shanti-themed pitch as a credible, balanced voice for the Global South.
